


Branded

by QueenOfAllCorgis



Category: The Pacific (TV)
Genre: Discrimination, M/M, Mutant Powers, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-11-05 07:20:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17914337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfAllCorgis/pseuds/QueenOfAllCorgis
Summary: The symbol sewn onto his uniform was the first thing people saw when they looked at him. They didn't see Eugene Sledge, Marine. They saw Eugene Sledge, Mutant. It shouldn't have made a difference out in the war but it did. There were still sly glances and harsh whispers but Eugene ignored them.What he couldn't ignore was Merriell Shelton who wore the same symbol on his uniform.





	1. Chapter 1

The island was full of death.

Eugene felt it in his fingertips and in the yawning emptiness in his chest. He could smell the sickly sweet smell of decay. He glanced around the beach and felt a twinge of anxiety when he didn’t even see a glimpse of green.

This wasn’t what he expected. When Eugene was told he was being shipped off to the Pacific he thought he would be surrounded by lush rainforests. He had expected the vibrancy of life and growth around him all the time. The lack of greenery besides a few stripped palm trees and some trampled grasses made him feel like he couldn’t get enough breath in. 

A strong shoulder slammed into his and he stumbled, bag slipping off his shoulder to fall to the sand. “Watch it freak.”

A few other marines around him chuckled and went out their way to avoid being around him. Eugene could feel his cheeks burn and reached up to cover the patch at his shoulder. Ever since he had put on the jacket, he knew that he would be treated differently. He had just hoped for indifference, not malice.

He trudged forward, wanting to find his company and maybe take the jacket off. Sweat was already trickling uncomfortably down his back and he pushed open the opening to a cabin. Several men glanced up, and just like always their eyes drifted to the red patch.

“Lookie here,” a man laughed. “Seems like we got another one of you Snaf.”

“This K company?” Eugene ignored the comment, but his heart rate did pick up a bit. Throughout bootcamp and the trip over he had yet to see another person like him. “We’re supposed to be 60 mortars, second squad.”

“This is second squad,” one of the men looked back down at the gun he was cleaning. He wasn’t overly dismissive like the other two as he introduced himself as Burgin. When he mentioned the name Snafu his curiosity peaked.

The other man wasn’t wearing a jacket or shirt so he couldn’t see the red atom patch that signified his mutation. There weren’t any obvious signs either besides almost inhumanly bright eyes. Snafu seemed to be studying him as well before he dropped his gaze, uninterested. 

“Grab a bunk,” Burgin motioned to the cots. 

Instantly, Snafu leaned forward and tossed his helmet on the cot that Eugene was about to place his things on. The red atom was scratched a bit on the surface, but it was there, clear as day. A slow smile spread across his face and he leaned back, eyes staring unflinchingly at him.

“Taken,” he had a long drawl.

“Don’t be an ass,” Burgin snapped. “If I have to have two of y’all I’m gonna keep my eye on you.”

The smirk faded into a scowl and he turned pale eyes to Eugene. “You a mortar man? Can ya see far? Can ya aim better?”

“Um…no…nothing like that,” Eugene hesitated. “I can-“

“Then it don’t matter what he can do if it don’t help with killin’ Japs,” Snafu shrugged and turned his attention back to his feet. “He’s jus’ like every other sorry son ova bitch out here.”

“Still,” Burgin gave him a long look and Snafu raised his hands in defeat. Still feeling awkward, Eugene dropped his things and glanced around the group.

“And what is your ability then?” Eugene asked, getting a sharp bark of laughter in response.

“Didn’t ya mama teach ya it wasn’t polite to ask?” He raised an eyebrow and Eugene knew that was the only answer he was going to get. 

He finished laying his things out and slipped out the door when he realized the other people in the company weren’t going to talk further to him. The sun felt hot and brutal as he wandered through the soldiers milling about. 

It didn’t take long before he was tackled to the ground. His friend’s loud laughter rang in his ears as they grappled in the dirt. Just before he was able to get himself out of Sid’s grip they heard someone clear their throat behind them.

They both sprang to attention and Eugene’s heart sank at the sight of two officers staring at them. He had barely been here for a few hours and was already in trouble. They managed to stammer through excuses and the officers waved them off, laughing. 

As they turned to walk away one of the officers caught sight of the symbol on Eugene’s jacket. He paused and stared for a long moment, his lips turning down into a frown. “Does your commanding officer know you are wandering around?”

Sid stiffened next to him, brow furrowing, but Eugene spoke up before he could say anything. “Yes sir.”

The officer pursed his lips but nodded and they both continued down the path. Sid continued to frown but then wrapped an arm around his friend’s shoulders and pulled him into a hug. 

“It’s good to see you,” he beamed at him but then his gaze turned to follow the officers walking away. “Even though you are apparently in trouble for walking around without a babysitter.”

“Forget it,” he waved his hand. “I’m used to it.”

Sid looked saddened by that thought. He had known about Eugene’s mutation their whole lives together. It was easy to hide in Mobile. His parents drilled the idea of secrecy into him from a young age. Then, he was branded and labeled and that secrecy he tried so hard to maintain didn’t matter. 

“Still bullshit,” he mumbled.

“It’s not so bad. There’s even another one in my unit,” at that Sid perked up. “Goes by the name of Snafu.”

“Oh yeah!” Sid’s eyes widened. “I never did find out exactly what he could do. I just know it’s kinda fucked up. He’s a bit crazy you know?”

Now he was even more curious.

They wandered down the path together, chatting about camp life and memories from home. Sid rambled on and on about some of the shenanigans he had been up to with his company. It felt like when they took walks through town in Mobile and Eugene felt a pang of homesickness. 

“Don’t use it, okay? Not unless you have to,” Sid blurted after a moment of silence. “There was a guy on Gloucester who had this physical one…he had like spikes and stuff. He was quiet and nice. His unit didn’t protect him when shit went down.”

Sid didn’t expand further than that, but he didn’t have to. As much as the marines preached about loyalty and semper fi he knew that only applied to normal people. The others would never see him as one of them.

“I’ll be careful,” he said softly, and Sid’s shoulders relaxed. 

“Good.”

\--

Eugene had never realized how sheltered he had been back in Mobile. 

He was stared at walking to his cabin. He was stared at in line for chow. He was stared at as he ate. It made his skin crawl and Eugene knew it was obvious. Sid glared at everyone who dared look too long but he just tried to ignore it. 

It wasn’t until one man shot him a disgusted look that Sid snapped. “What the fuck is your problem?”

“Nothin’,” the man glared back. “Just havin’ a nice meal and now I have to share a mess hall with that.”

Eugene’s spoon scraped noisily against the bottom of his bowl. He could feel the back of his neck burn with humiliation as Sid jumped up, an ugly snarl on his face.

“He’s a marine, just like you,” he snarled.

“He ain’t like me,” the man growled. Eugene quickly put a hand up to stop Sid from launching himself across the table. He shot his friend a warning look. Sid was practically shaking with rage and the man laughed loudly. “In fact, he-“

“Work detail!” A short shout stopped him in his track as an officer walked in. “Three of you boots go with Snafu. Hurry up.”

The other man trailed behind him, still shirtless. “You heard the sergeant, now.”

Eugene jumped to his feet along with Leyden. His heart still pounded but he tried to brush it off until Snafu motioned to the marine to join them.

“I ain’t no boot,” the marine glared.

“And yet you still comin’ with me Reynolds,” Snafu’s strangely colored eyes didn’t even flicker away. “Don’t you worry, it won’t be too hard for ya.”

The officer stood behind him so Reynolds couldn’t argue. He just shoved his plate away with a snarl and stormed ahead of them. Snafu let out a short breath that sounded like a laugh and raised an eyebrow at Eugene. 

“Comin?”

It was obvious that Snafu held a grudge. He smirked around his cigarette and pointed Reynolds to the oil drums that were the filthiest. He didn’t even seem bothered by the glares and mumbled curses under the other man’s breath. While Eugene didn’t have any love for Reynolds, he was quickly getting annoyed with the nonchalant way Snafu watched them work.

“Ain’t you supposed to have your sign on?” Reynolds finally snapped. “Everyone is supposed to know what you are.”

The look in Snafu’s eyes chilled Eugene to the core. He didn’t even answer for a long moment before a smirk quirked up the corners of his mouth. 

“If you don’t gotta wear a sign showing you a fucking asshole I don’t gotta wear mine,” he tipped his chin up. “None that stuff matters when you’re scrubbin’ oil drums anyway. Get back to work.”

Reynolds jaw clenched so tight that Eugene was afraid he would crack his teeth. Finally, he threw his brush down and stormed off, shouting back at Snafu who laughed again.

“Won’t he get in trouble?” Leyden asked, watching as Reynolds stormed off.

“Naw,” Snafu shrugged and hopped off the oil drum he had been perched on. He dropped the cigarette into the mud and stubbed it out with the toe of his shoe. “You’ve already scrubbed more than ya were supposed to.”

Leyden threw his hands up and stomped off as well. Those strange eyes followed him as he grinned widely. As annoyed as Eugene was, he couldn’t help but feel appreciative towards the other man.

“Thanks,” he said, getting a quizzical look as Snafu lit up another cigarette. “For standing up for me…for us, I guess. It’s-“

“We both got fucked up DNA,” Snafu interrupted him. “Don’t mean we’re best friends. I just don’t take kindly to bigots.”

He spun on his heel and weaved through the crowd, leaving Eugene standing among the oil drums.

\--

Eugene had never felt so alone as when Sid left. 

They had been best friends since they were in diapers. Sid knew about his abilities and had kept them secret. He had never judged or looked at Eugene differently and now he realized what a rare thing that was.

Most people just ignored him. Some, like Reynolds, were a bit more verbal in their distrust of him. He tried not to let it get to him, but it stung. Eugene had volunteered to help his country; shouldn’t that get him a fraction of respect? Instead they treated him like he was less than human.

One person whose eyes didn’t linger on the symbol splashed across his shoulder was Leckie. The older man found him flipping through a book on the beach and had invited him back to his cabin to look through his collection. The conversation of course drifted back to the war and then on to family.

“Unless you got a brother over there, no one gives a shit,” Leckie shrugged as he looked through his things.

“My brother landed in Italy,” Eugene said softly and Leckie glanced up. Thinking of his brother made something twist in his stomach and he looked down at the book in his hands.

“Well, I guess you get to give a shit,” Leckie paused in the middle of pouring the coffee. “Is he…like you?”

Eugene didn’t look up as he shook his head. “No. Just me.”

Leckie hummed and handed over a cup of lukewarm coffee. “I know it’s probably rude to ask but what can you do? We had a guy when I first got shipped out who could freeze things. It was kinda nice when it got really hot.”

“I can’t do anything like that,” Eugene relaxed when he didn’t hear any malice or disgust in the older man’s voice. “I’m officially labeled as having Agrokinesis.”

“I have no fucking idea what that is,” Leckie laughed and Eugene cracked a smile. 

“Control over plants. I can make them grow and stuff,” Eugene shrugged. “It sounds more interesting than it is.”

Leckie let out a long whistle. “That’s pretty incredible. Sometimes I feel jealous of you mutants.”

“That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that,” Eugene felt himself blush but ducked his head to hide a smile. “It feels like a curse sometimes.”

“People are scared of what they don’t understand. You mutants are…incredible and powerful and that terrifies them,” Leckie’s eyes were serious and dark in the half light. “It makes them feel lesser so they fight to regain control. Hell, we’re fighting this whole fucking war because powerful men wanted to prove how powerful they are. The people fighting it are just pawns of their insecurity.”

Eugene fidgeted with the binding of his book. He knew that his mutation was nothing to be ashamed of. It was something he had been born with and something he couldn’t change. Still, it was hard to believe that when everyone around him told him he was something wrong.

“Thanks for this,” Eugene motioned to the book but Leckie seemed to understand he was thanking him for more.

He wandered back to his bunk, book held loosely in his grip. When he slipped through the flap he noticed that most of the men were already asleep. The only person still awake was Snafu who took in lazy drags of his cigarette, staring at the smoke twisting to the ceiling. 

“That a nudie mag?” Snafu asked, nodding towards the book in his hand.

“Kipling,” Eugene sat on his cot and Snafu let out a huff. “Want to borrow it when I’m done?”

“No way in hell,” Snafu mumbled around his cigarette. 

Eugene couldn’t help but smile slightly and lay on his cot. He knew this could be the last time he would have a chance to really sit in quiet and read. They were shipping out the next day.


	2. Chapter 2

Everything was dirt, blood, and gunpowder.

 

The air felt thick with it as Eugene tried to gulp in enough breaths to keep going. His body already ached with how hard he was wound up. He honestly couldn’t even remember crossing the beach, it was just a haze of complete fear, but now he was here with the rest of his company and all he wanted to do was catch his breath.

 

For the first time in what felt like years, but was maybe only an hour, he was able to sit. Little things started coming back to him. His hands trembled and burned after carrying a burning mortar. His ears rang after the explosions around him. His feet were uncomfortably wet.

 

One of those things he could fix.

 

Then Snafu shoved the boot back into his chest with a snarl. The older man looked almost feral, clearly still burning with adrenaline from the fight and it had turned him mean. Still, Eugene pulled his boot back on his wet feet and tried to ignore the way his toes squished in damp cotton.

 

The fight seemed to sap out of Snafu after that and he leaned back to quickly open his can of rations. Eugene turned his attention to his own can and scowled when the knife kept slipping on the metal. How hard could this be? He ran across a beach as bullets flew towards him but he couldn’t even get a stupid can open?

 

“Trade ya,” his eyes snapped up to see Snafu holding his opened can towards him.

 

After a beat Eugene took the can and nodded with a smile. It was the first tiny sign of kindness that Snafu had showed him and it warmed him. He ate a few bites of too salty…something before he thought of how he could do to thank him.

 

With a breath, Eugene sank his fingers into the mud around them and concentrated. It was hard to get past the rocky dry soil, but he managed to start some tiny roots. The roots pushed past the rocks and curled over the surface. His brow furrowed as leaves stretched open, tiny white flowers bloomed, and red fruit plumped on vines.

 

“Is that a strawberry?” Oswalt asked excitedly, leaning in close.

 

“Yeah,” he felt a little breathless from the effort but plucked the fruit, holding it out to him. Oswalt took it like it was the most precious thing he ever had received. He took a tiny bite and groaned at the flavor. With a grin, Eugene offered another strawberry to Snafu. “Want one?”

 

Snafu stared at the bright red fruit in his hand, eyes narrowed. “Don’t do that shit out here.”

 

Instantly, Eugene’s heart sank and he felt a blush spread across his cheeks. “I…”

 

“The Japs don’t kill us ya know. It’s not a bullet that’ll worry you,” Snafu bared his teeth in an imitation of a smile and leaned forward to tap his finger on Eugene’s helmet. “They see that symbol and you’re worth more than fucking gold. You get taken in as a POW and they will find out what makes you tick.”

 

A shiver ran down Eugene’s spine. “What?”

 

“You’ra weapon cher,” Snafu leaned back against a rock. “And they have ways to make you theirs.”

 

“That sounds like a load of crap,” Oswalt snapped but he still looked a bit unsure.

 

“Believe what you want. I’m just sayin’ that if you find yourself in a situation where they might getcha you just have to…” he moved the barrel of his rifle under his chin and made a popping sound with his mouth, grinning when they both flinched. “It’s better than what they’ll do to ya.”

 

Eugene looked down at his half eaten can and felt his stomach twist. The tiny strawberry plant had already started to wilt, the leaves curling up in on themselves.

 

“So, don’t do that shit,” he motioned with the toe of his boot towards the little plant. “Not unless you haveta. Some people might not like it and heads can get hot out here. God help ya if a Jap sees it somehow. Now, wake me up in four hours.”

 

He leaned back against cracked rocks and closed his eyes, folding his hands over his stomach. Oswalt gave him a sympathetic look and Eugene kicked some dirt over the plant, burying it.

 

“Thanks Sledge,” Oswalt clapped a hand on his shoulder and settled down as well.

 

“Yeah,” he sighed.

 

\--

 

Eugene had never been truly _thirsty_ before. He had never felt the buzz in his head or the unbearable ache in his throat. It was like every cell in his body was shriveling up and twisting into nothing.

 

So, he could hardly stop himself from tripping over his own feet when they heard the call for water.

 

Even the sound of water being scooped up caused such an incredible longing. Burgin was crouched at the side, filling canteen after canteen. Eugene fell to his knees and ripped off his helmet, dipping it into the little pool.

 

The moment his fingers made contact with the water he jerked back. A tingling burn raced up his arm and Eugene let the water he had gathered spill out onto the dust.

 

“It’s poison,” he said sharply, and Burgin looked up, frowning. “Ain’t nothing can grow in that.”

 

“You sure?” He asked and Eugene nodded. It looked like it physically pained him to pour out the canteen he had just filled but he did it. The other marines hesitated, clearly not willing to trust him just yet. Then, Burgin looked around with a glare. “Pour it out. What use would Sledge have to lie?”

 

The sound of water tumbling onto the ground would have brought tears to Eugene’s eyes if he had enough moisture in him.

 

They trudged after the officers after they received their orders, getting ready to move across the airfield. Snafu lingered behind them like a ghost, lighting up another cigarette as they gathered their supplies.

 

He hovered at Eugene’s side, holding out his cigarette when he noticed the trembling and quick breaths. The cigarette didn’t help much but the burn in his lungs gave him something to focus on besides their possible impending doom.

 

All he had to do was make it to the bombed out wall.

 

That was what Eugene kept saying to himself as he ran harder than he ever had before. He ignored the explosions and screams behind him. He ignored the spray of dirt, blood and body parts raining around him. He ignored everything that wasn’t his destination.

 

When he slid into the little outcrop of rocks he felt like he had run a hundred miles, not just across a short field.

 

And he had to do it all over again.

 

Eugene tried his hardest to keep his mind centered only on his goal, not letting himself get distracted by anything around him. He had almost made it to their last leg when an explosion rocked the earth nearby and Snafu vanished from his side.

 

Without even thinking about it, Eugene’s feet skidded to a stop and he ran towards the dazed man lying on his back. He leaned down to grab at Snafu and saw…himself.

 

He saw himself staring down, mouth forming around words. Intense confusion, fear and shock overwhelmed him and he couldn’t help but gasp. The confusing sensation of being on his feet and also feeling like he was lying on his back made him dizzy.

 

Then, just as quickly as it happened it stopped. He was staring at Snafu who looked horrified. Eugene managed to shake himself out of the stupor he found himself in and pulled Snafu to his feet.

 

“I’m sorry,” the Cajun gasped out as they ran. “Fuck…didn’t mean ta. Fuck.”

 

Eugene just shook his head and pulled Snafu along behind him. The dazed feeling dulled the shock he felt when Oswalt fell in a spray of blood. He hardly was able to focus, relying purely on muscle memory, as they fired at the shelled out building.

 

Then, even though it felt like they had been running and fighting forever, it was over.

 

The dead were rounded up and he was able to finally breathe. A feeling of exhaustion that he had never experienced washed over him. The wicker chair he leaned against felt more comfortable than any bed he had ever slept on.

 

Ack Ack and Hillbilly came by, gently getting Daniels help and checking in on the rest of the marines. They looked exhausted, shoulders sagging and feet dragging a bit.

 

When Ack Ack placed a hand on his shoulder an overwhelming sense of calm flooded through Eugene. It felt like a cool gust of breeze or a gentle ray of sun on a cool day. He sucked in a quick breath and looked up at Ack Ack curiously.

 

The older man gave him a small smile and crouched down. “You aren’t the only one who is different. Some of us can just hide it better.”

 

“You too?” He asked and Hillbilly rose his eyebrows.

 

“It’s not much…some basic feeling manipulation so I just never mentioned it,” his shoulders jerked up in a shrug. “I can trust you won’t tell anyone.”

 

“Course not sir,” he shook his head quickly.

 

“I think he just likes being the rebel,” Hillbilly teased and got a grin from Ack Ack. “What the corps don’t know won’t hurt em.”

 

Ack Ack rolled his eyes and patted Eugene’s shoulder again. “We have to stick together. As marines, as…well, we have to stick together. The moment we forget that is the moment we seal our fate.”

 

He nodded faintly and his eyes followed Ack Ack as he continued down his unit, checking in on the men. Honestly, Eugene didn’t think it was possible for someone to lie about their mutation to the marine corps. If he had the same symbol on his uniform that Eugene did he would never have gained the rank and the support he rightfully earned.

 

It wasn’t fair.

 

As soon as Hillbilly pushed himself off the wall and trailed behind his CO he heard the thud of feet dropping down. Snafu walked quietly over to him and sat down, cigarette burning brightly in the dark.

 

“I project,” he finally said, voice soft. “I can put pictures or sounds in other people’s head. It's what happened before. Ya grabbed me an’ I let it slip.”

 

“Oh,” Eugene furrowed his brow. So, he had seen what Snafu was seeing? Had he felt the same panic and fear that had gone through Snafu after he was blown off his feet?

 

“It don’t happen often,” Snafu shrugged. “I’m usually better.”

 

“But you usually don’t get the ground blown up under you,” Eugene smiled and watched as Snafu’s shoulders drooped in relief. “It’s fine Snafu.”

 

Snafu nodded and dropped his head back against the stone wall, finishing off his cigarette. “Most people get nervous when they meet someone who can slip into their head.”

 

“Most people can’t grow trees,” he sighed and Snafu let out a bark of laughter.

 

“You ain’t lyin’,” Snafu’s eyes sparkled in the light of the fires around them. “You can grow trees? Like a whole forest?”

 

“I’ve never tried,” Eugene felt himself blush at the thoughtful hum. “But maybe?”

 

“That would be somethin’,” Snafu breathed before stretching his legs out. “It’s funny. You’re the guy who can make life outa nothin’ and you’re surrounded by nothin’ by death and destruction.”

 

“You ain’t lyin’,” Eugene echoed his previous words and accepted his offered cigarette.


	3. Chapter 3

His heart leapt into his throat the moment the man started crying in his sleep.

Eugene gripped his gun a bit tighter, looking around the camp for the enemy and only relaxing when he saw nothing moving. Behind him, Snafu grumbled sleepily and squinted into the darkness.

“Sounds like some guy having a nightmare,” he said softly but then the cries increased in volume. Fear started to claw its way up his throat and the others got agitated as well. Angry hisses started pouring in, getting more frantic as the man started screaming.

Snafu stiffened next to him, jaw clenched angrily as they grabbed their weapons. “Shut that fucker up.”

Then they touched him and the marine exploded into terrified madness. He shrieked and thrashed, striking out against the people trying to hold him down. Eugene watched with horror, knowing that at any moment the Japs were going to storm their camp and kill every last one of them.

“Snafu, do something,” Burgin snapped over his shoulder.

“Jesus fuck…okay, fine,” Snafu shifted forward a bit and took in a deep breath.

His pupils, large in the dark, shrank to nothing. Eugene couldn’t look away from the pools of blue green. He could see every curl of smoke reflected in them, every flicker of flames. Snafu gasped in a breath and then let it out in a quiet hiss.

The man continued screaming and the marines around him were clearly panicking. There was a gunshot, the hiss of a flare, and then one of the men grabbed a shovel and slammed it on the man’s head with a crack.

Snafu jerked violently when the shovel slammed down and fell limply against Eugene.

Silence sounded almost too loud. Cold fear curled up Eugene’s spine as he shook Snafu’s unresisting shoulders and hissed out his name. When there wasn’t an answer he gently tapped against his face, not looking away from his too bright eyes. A thin line of blood started to trickle down from his left ear, completely terrifying Eugene.

“Fuck,” Burgin was next to him, sounding strangled. “What happened?”

“He just went down,” Eugene knew his voice was high and tight. “He…he needs to lay down.”

They worked together to move the too still Snafu to lay on his back. Eugene hovered around him, trying desperately to see in the dark if he was even breathing. What the hell had happened? One moment he was fine and the next he was practically comatose.

In an instant it was over. Snafu’s pupils expanded like ink dropped into water and he gasped out a truly painful sounding breath. His hand shot up to grab at his head, a long groan slipping past his lips.

“You fuckers,” he snarled, still panting for breath. “I almost had it.”

“What?” Burgin still looked shaken.

“I was gonna calm him down. I was gonna get him to go back’ta sleep,” strong tremors wracked Snafu’s thin frame. “I was fuckin’ there when they killed ‘im.”

Then his body surged forward and whatever meager meal they had earlier came back up. Eugene kept his hand on Snafu’s heaving back, horrified by what he had just heard. Snafu had been in that marine’s mind when they hit him…when they killed him. He had experienced the exact moment the other man had died.

“If they had jus’ given me five more seconds,” his voice was weak and hoarse. “I coulda shut him up.”

“It’s alright Snaf,” Burgin soothed, glancing over to where a group had gathered around the man. “You tried. I shouldn’t have asked you-“

“I could’ve,” Snafu shrugged off Eugene’s hand. “Fuck, I could’ve.”

 

Eugene sagged against the side of the foxhole, rubbing against his shaking shoulder in what he hoped was a soothing way. An uneasy quiet flooded the camp as they carefully covered the man’s too still body. 

 

A strange kind of angry energy overcame Snafu the next morning. He stalked through the camp, smoking his cigarettes at a record speed. His eyes flashed across the men who shrank away from him, clearly nervous. 

 

“It wasn’t your fault,” Eugene offered as they started getting ready to move out. Snafu’s jaw tightened and he stared straight ahead. “You just-”

 

“I hate doin’ it,” Snafu interrupted him angrily. “I fuckin’ hate it. It’s like squeezin’ into too tight boots or tryin’ to sleep in a wet sleeping bag. It feels wrong.”

 

Eugene nodded, heart in his throat. “I know what you mean.”

 

“The fuck you do,” Snafu glared at him. “You grow flowers and shit. I...I can feel what they feel. I can hear their thoughts and...you’ve never felt another man’s fear before. I just wanted to give’m some happy thoughts or somethin’.”

 

He threw his half finished cigarette on the dirt and scowled. 

 

“You’re right. I don’t know what it’s like,” Eugene offered, hating this angry version of Snafu. “But you can talk to me about it.”

 

That was the wrong thing to say. 

 

“Oh, I’ll talk to ya about it,” Snafu spun towards him and stepped forward into his space, making Eugene take a few steps back. “I slipped inta his mind nice and easy right? He was seein’ Japs everywhere. There was one on top of him, about to stab him right in the heart. I tried to pull up thoughts. I made that Jap step back and tried to turn it into his sweetheart back home but nothin’. He was too far gone. He fought against me and I couldn’t keep up the illusion.”

 

“It’s-”

 

“I saw the world go dark when he died,” Snafu’s eyes went a bit far away at that, his breath catching in his throat. “No bright light. No chorus of angels. Just nothing.”

 

“Jesus,” Eugene finally breathed, feeling his hands tremble. At that Snafu seemed to shrink into himself a bti, looking self conscious. “I’m so sorry Snaf.”

 

Snafu shrugged, looking small now that they fight had sapped out of him. He shuffled his feet slightly in the dust and looked down at them. A long, heavy sigh made his shoulders heave and he rubbed at the back of his neck.

 

“It’s just...it’s shit,” he huffed out and walked towards where rations were being handed out. 

 

Eugene stared after him, heart heavy. Despite acting like he didn’t care he knew that Snafu was torn up about what had happened. He could see it in the set of his shoulders and the hardness in his eyes. 

 

It wasn’t the first time this had happened. 

 

The ground was hard, dry and ashy. It took a good amount of energy and focus but Eugene managed to grow a single small white rose. He carefully plucked it, mindful of the thorns, and stepped towards where the marine’s body lay covered on the side of the tank. 

 

It was maybe a useless gesture but he lay the rose over the tarp and whispered a quick prayer. The man had died because his mind had slipped into the darkness that they all were getting too close to. It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right. 

 

“It’s nice,” Burgin said softly to his side. 

 

“I didn’t know what else to do,” Eugene sighed, tucking the rose a bit further into the tarp so it wouldn’t flutter away. “It’s stupid.”

 

“No. I like the idea that someone would give a shit if I died. I’m sure he would too,” he nodded towards the man laying before them. 

 

He couldn’t allow himself to mourn for a man he didn’t even know. He didn’t have the time and he didn’t have the energy left. 


	4. Chapter 4

Nothing made sense.

 

One moment they were walking towards an empty bunker and the next Eugene was crouched over a screaming Leyden as the world exploded around them.

 

He could hear the wails of the dying and absentmindedly tried to soothe Leyden who continued to shriek. The tank roared next to him, sounding more like an animal than a machine and he could hardly breathe around the panic crawling up his throat.

 

Then, the Japanese soldier stumbled out of the bunker and Eugene’s world shrank down to him. The soldier looked a bit confused and disorientated but when his eyes locked on Eugene they hardened. He had never seen such hate focused on him and it terrified him.

 

The fact that he didn’t feel pain when the rifle went off surprised him and he realized that the Jap had missed. The man cursed loudly and Eugene saw that the rifle had jammed. That spurred him into motion and he scrambled around on the ground trying to find his own weapon that he had dropped.

 

In his panic, the Jap soldier had unsheathed his sword and ran at Eugene with a scream.

 

The rifle was too far. He wouldn’t be able to get the rifle in time. That sent a wave of terrible calmness through Eugene. He could hear the scream of the man who wanted to kill him and he knew that his weapon was out of reach.

 

In a fit of desperation, he touched his hand to the ground. The man was nearly on him, he could see the hatred and fury in his eyes and he could count the flecks of blood dried on his face. Then, there was sound like someone ripped paper and the man’s eyes widened.

 

A root, think and gnarled, had burst from the ground and skewered the Jap straight through the chest. It stuck out the back of him covered in red. The man looked down, clearly surprised, and then looked back up at Eugene.

 

The dying man opened his mouth and a thin line of electricity arched between his teeth and across his fingertip.

 

The Jap was a mutant. Eugene stared at him, hand still outstretched from where he had directed the root. A patch, some kind of Japanese character in blue, was sewn into his shoulder and he knew that iit meant the same thing as the patch on his shoulder.

 

Then, the man’s eyes went blank and he sagged forward.

 

Eugene sucked in a deep breath, staring at the man suspended like an insect on a display board. He had done this. He had ended this man’s life. When the root had pierced his chest Eugene had felt it. There was a faint, phantom feeling of his hand moving through muscle and bone.

 

He felt sick.

 

Distantly, he could hear the rest of the unit laying waste to the rest of the Japs. Flamethrowers chased some out of the bunkers, screaming and burning bright.

 

It was the most horrific thing he had ever seen.

 

Just as quickly as the battle had started, it ended. The quiet that followed was almost louder than the gunfire and screams. Eugene felt numb and watched as medics swept Leyden away. They cast a terrified look to the dead Jap still dangling from the root and scurried away as quickly as they could.

 

“Fuck,” Reynolds stared at it, not even trying to hide his disgust. “Ain’t that somethin’. I read a story about a monster that did that in a fairy tale once. It’s-“

 

“Reynolds,” Burgin appeared behind him, blue eyes icy. “Go help count amo.”

 

The marine gave Eugene another long look at caused him to duck down, shame burning his veins. His hands trembled and suddenly he couldn’t stand to look at the corpse dangling in front of him.

 

“Come now Sledgehamma’,” Snafu took hold of his upper arm and pulled him to his feet. He stumbled a bit and saw the marines wandering through the dead, gathering up things to stuff into their pockets. He could even see a Japanese flag poking out of Snafu’s pack but he kept his eyes steadfastly forward.

 

A weak, broken groan met his ears and he turned to see Reynolds digging into the mouth of a still living Jap. The man weakly twisted on the ground, hands fluttering as he choked out his agony.

 

“For fucks sake put him out of his misery,” Eugene snapped and Snafu turned towards where his attention was.

 

“Like you did when you shish-kabobbed that bastard?” Reynolds motioned to where the body was still hanging. “Fuck off Sledge.”

 

Snafu didn’t say a word, just walked over and pulled out his sidearm before piercing the Jap’s brain with a bullet. He gave Reynolds a long, lingering stare and walked back to Eugene. He suddenly looked so much older as he took hold of Eugene’s arm again and started leading him away from the carnage.

 

“I ‘pose you don’t want that sword to take home hmm?” He asked in an easy way and Eugene leaned over to vomit into the dust. He heaved and heaved until his body ached and his stomach felt like it was going to turn itself inside out.

 

“Shit man,” Snafu cursed and placed a hand on his back.

 

A creeping, cold feeling nudged at the back of his mind and he jerked a bit. The blood melted away from the dirt in front of him and the sky had even become a bit bluer. The panic that should have faded just ramped up more than ever.

 

“Don’t fucking do that to me!” He snapped, striking out at Snafu who jumped back. The blood returned and the sky went back to smoky grey. “Get the fuck out of my head!”

 

Snafu jerked back like he had been burned. His green-blue eyes were wide and a bit hurt. He swallowed thickly and let his hand fall to his side. Then, the hurt as replaced with anger. “Well, ‘scuse me for tryin’ to help.”

 

“It’s not helping if you put fake pictures in my head. The blood and bodies are still there! You could put me in the middle of the fucking moon and it wouldn’t make a difference,” Eugene snarled, baring his teeth. “I don’t need your stupid tricks to make me feel better.”

 

Snafu bristled and stormed off, hands clenched into fists at his side. Just as soon as the anger had bloomed it drained away, leaving him feeling drained and empty. He knew that Snafu was just trying to help in his own way but the panic still lingered just under his skin.

 

He should apologize but instead he walked to the other side of the bunker, desperate to get away from the body of the Jap. The eyes of the marines followed him, burning into the back of his head.

 

Eugene kept to himself as they setup camp. He could see Burgin lingering behind him, obviously worried about him. Maybe he thought Eugene would lose it and kill them all in their sleep. Maybe they all thought that. The idea made his stomach churn and he turned down his rations that night, unable to even dream of eating.

 

He leaned back in the foxhole, staring up where he knew the stars should be but were blocked by smoke. The cigarette dangled loosely in his mouth as he took in another drag. A heavy body plopped down in the dirt next to him and he didn’t have to look to know it was Snafu.

 

“You were a bitch earlier,” he said bluntly.

 

“Yeah,” Eugene agreed, getting a huff from the other man.

 

Silence fell between them for a long moment, the only sound being far away gunfire. Then, Snafu sighed and wiped at his dirty face with his hands.

 

“My daddy thought I was the devil,” his voice was soft and Eugene finally turned to look at him. “I couldn’t control it when I was little so pictures would jus’ slip in. He beat the shit outa me every time, thought it would make me change or somethin’. Like it was a choice I made.”

 

The bitterness and anger was obvious, making Eugene feel as if he was intruding on something deeply personal. His own parents hadn’t been thrilled when he first started showing signs of mutation. His father had tried desperately to find a cure, one of which damaged his heart and led to the murmur.

 

“Can’t change it,” Eugene muttered.

 

“Would ya? If you could?” The other marine tapped their boots together.

 

“I guess. Wouldn’t have to worry about bein’ turned away from a job or having to wear these damn symbols,” Snafu hummed in agreement. “Wouldn’t have to worry about killin’ people with it.”

 

Snafu sat quietly then nudged his foot again. “You did what ya had to.”

 

“I’ve never hurt someone with it before,” the hysteria rose up and he tried to push it down, not wanting to get lost in it again. “I’ve just grown things and…fuck, I didn’t know I could hurt people with it.”

 

The cigarette in Snafu’s mouth burned bright as he took in a drag. “Once, before you joined, we were holed up and trying to sleep. I saw that a group of Japs were sneakin’ up on us and I slipped inta one of their heads. I made him see the other Japs as US marines and he lost his shit. He blasted them all ta kingdom come. Before I slipped out I felt what he did when he realized what happened. He killed himself right after.”

 

A shiver ran through Eugene. He couldn’t imagine the horror or realizing that he had killed several of his own men. Even though Snafu hadn’t done it he still felt the emotions and the horrible realization.

 

“Do you ever feel like a monster?” He whispered.

 

“Every damn day,” Snafu dropped his cigarette butt and stomped it out. “But a monster with a purpose. We kill Japs with guns and bombs, what makes us different?”

 

“Cause we’re fucking people, not weapons,” Eugene murmured and Snafu let out a short laugh.

 

“Not to good ol’ U S of A,” he closed his eyes and leaned back. “Monsters do evil things. You ain’t a monster Sledgehamma’. You’re the least like a monster of all of us.”

 

Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes and he prayed that Snafu didn’t hear his shaky inhale. If he did, he didn’t say anything and Eugene was incredibly grateful for it.

 

“Sorry I snapped at you,” he sighed.

 

“I shoulda asked,” Snafu shrugged. “Shouldnta gone in without askin’.”

 

Eugene swallowed and scooted closer to the other man. He felt the way Snafu stiffened, almost like he was expecting to be hit. He relaxed after a few moments and allowed himself to lean into Eugene as well. They stared up at the dark sky, quietly watching the smoke curl up.

 

“I bet the stars are really bright out here,” Eugene finally said. “They were always so bright in Mobile. Like the sky was glowing.”

 

“They were always a bit hazy in New Orleans,” Snafu drawled and turned to him, seeming uncharacteristically shy. “Do you wanna see the stars?”

 

He knew what he was asking and nodded slightly. This time it didn’t feel invasive. Snafu slipped into his head and it felt like a warm blanket was spread over him. The smoke above them cleared to show the most beautiful, sparkling stars Eugene had ever seen. It almost stole his breath away with how bright they were.

 

It was easy for him to forget the hell he was currently in with those stars above him.

 

“Thank you,” he whispered and Snafu chuckled next to him.

 

“Wanna see anythin’ else? A dragon flyin’ by? Maybe a nice pair of tits?” Snafu chuckled and Eugene felt a smile on his own face.

 

“No, this is perfect.”

 

They lay in the foxhole side by side, staring up at the stars sparkling above them.


	5. Chapter 5

He was numb.

 

Something had snapped in him ever since Hillbilly had been mowed down and Ack-Ack was carefully carried down through the hills. He had seen the older men as untouchable, as the two who were going to get the rest of them through this.

 

Eugene slumped down onto the rocks, digging a can of rations out of his kit. He started to open it up when he heard a distinct _plink-plink-plink_ behind him. A shiver ran through him and he turned around just in time to see a pebble plop into the open cavity of a corpse behind him.

 

Snafu looked bored, reminding him of when Sid and he would try to skip rocks along the smooth surface of the lake. Another pebble sent a small splash of blood over the rim of the skull and Eugene turned around.

 

He felt nothing. He didn’t feel disgusted or nauseous like he might have before. That alone was the most terrifying part to him. Had he really lost his humanity?

 

Hands shaking already, Eugene jumped to his feet and unsheathed his knife. He walked towards the other corpse and wrenched open the mouth. He caught a glimpse of gold and angled the blade down.

 

“Hey, hey,” Snafu’s drawling voice made him freeze. “Don’t do that.”

 

“Why not?” Eugene snapped back, turning to glare at those too bright eyes.

 

“Bad germs,” he noticed that the other man sat stiffly. “Doc says they got bad germs. Don’t wanna get sick.”

 

For a moment Eugene was furious. How could Snafu, the man who had ripped more teeth out of skulls than he could count, tell him he couldn’t do this? What kind of hypocrite was he? Then, understanding rushed through him as he looked into green eyes. Snafu didn’t want him to become the monster he was so terrified of becoming.

 

“Can I take his insignia then?” He managed to ask shortly and Snafu gave him a shrug, relaxing slightly into the rocks that he had made himself comfortable in.

 

Eugene leaned to the Jap’s shoulder and froze. The same blue symbol he had seen on that Jap in the field was sewn into the shoulder. He could see what looked like green scales crawling up the man’s neck and disappearing into his hairline.

 

Did the Japanese discriminate against mutants like the Americans did? Did this soldier struggle with people thinking less of him? Was he treated like everyone else despite obvious physical differences?

 

He sat back down without taking anything. Snafu didn’t say a word but he also didn’t throw anymore pebbles. Relief made Eugene sat against the rock face and he leaned back closing his eyes. He couldn’t tell Snafu that he was immensely grateful for stopping him.

 

\--

 

Maybe once Pavuvu was beautiful.

 

But now makeshift cabins covered the sand and the dense trees were cut down to make room. It smelled like burnt trash and hundreds of unwashed men. It was crowded and disgusting and wasn’t supposed to be a place where pretty girls handed out cups of juice.

 

The sight was so out of place that Eugene stopped and stared, his brain hardly able to comprehend what was going on.

 

One of the girls, a pretty blonde with red lips, caught sight of them and her bright smile faded when she caught sight of the patch on his shoulder.

 

“He’s one of those freaks right?” She whispered, a bit too loud to the girl next to her. “I don’t want to give it to him. Can you?”

 

“Come on Sledgehamma’,” Snafu said loudly, appearing at his elbow and staring down the girls until they looked away shamefaced. “Juice tastes like horse piss anyways.”

 

 

He took the younger man’s elbow and led him towards their bunk. It felt like eternity before they pushed their way through the entrance and Eugene all but collapsed on his bunk. What was once a horribly uncomfortable scrap of fabric now felt like the most heavenly bed he had ever lay on.

 

“Stupid bitches,” Snafu raged next to him, sitting on the end of Eugene’s cot and lighting up a cigarette. “We go and fight for their freedom and whateva but they judge us? Like they’re so high and mighty.”

 

Eugene rolled over onto his back and accepted the offered cigarette, taking in a long inhale. “I could have handled it myself. Didn’t need you to come to my rescue.”

 

The other man smiled thinly and leaned against the wall, letting one of his hands rest on Eugene’s calf. “No, you don’t. You’re a tough bastard.”

 

They sat in silence, sharing the cigarette back and forth until it was nothing but a stub. The sound of men shouting and laughing right outside the walls but in the cabin it was peaceful. Smoke curled up near the ceiling and the heat was trapped in, making everything feel a bit dreamy.

 

Snafu started shifting a bit on the cot, his hand tightening and loosening on Eugene’s calf. The younger man lay there, feeling like he could slip into sleep at any moment. Then, Snafu cleared his throat and Eugene opened his eyes and looked at him questioningly.

 

“Sit up for a second,” he said suddenly, voice soft and urgent.

 

Without a second thought, Eugene pushed himself up on his elbows and raised his eyebrows. Snafu looked conflicted but before he could say anything soft lips pressed against his own. The kiss was chaste and short, ending when Snafu pulled back with a scared look on his face.

 

“Gene…I-“

 

“What the fuck was that?” Eugene felt a surge of fear and Snafu’s face fell. “Seriously Snaf, I’m not here to get your rocks off cause you can’t get those broads out there.”

 

“That’s not…fuck!” He let out a snarl, covering his face with his hands. He took in a few deep breaths before mumbling through his fingers. “That’s not what this is.”

 

They fell into silence but neither one of them moved. Eugene’s heart pounded almost painfully in his chest and Snafu didn’t move, still sitting with his knees up to his chest and his hands covering his face. It felt like they were frozen in time in this too hot smoky room.

 

“Snaf, we’re exhausted and it’s been a long couple of weeks,” he said softly, just wanting the other man to stop looking like a scared child. “It’s normal to-“

 

“It’s not like that,” Snafu lifted his face, eyes desperate. “You’re the only good thing out here.”

 

Eugene just stared at him, mind whirring. The kiss hadn’t been bad. Before the panic set in he had actually enjoyed it. Would it be so wrong to try it again? Maybe that would answer some of the questions spinning in his head.

 

He scooted closer and Snafu leaned back, eyes wide. “What are ya doin’?”

 

“Shut up…let me just…” Eugene let out a huff and let his fingers rest on the back of the other man’s head, pulling him in for another kiss.

 

This time Snafu let out a shaky breath and practically melted into his touch. He shifted closer until they were touching and parted his lips under Eugene’s. They kissed slow and deep until a shout from outside the cabin made them both jerk backwards. After the initial panic they both laughed and smiled shyly at each other.

 

“Didn’t know you swung tha way Sledgehamma’,” Snafu drawled, eyes bright.

 

“Don’t think I do,” Eugene shrugged slightly and the smile faded from Snafu’s face. He looked a bit awkward, staring down at his hands in his lap.

 

“Well,” that cocky expression was back on but now Eugene could see the cracks in it. “Lucky for you I can be anyone you want. All I gotta do is slip into that pretty little head of yours and I can be anyone.”

 

“What?”

 

“It’s fine,” Snafu shrugged and rolled his shoulders back. “Wanna fuck those pretty red cross girls out there? I can make that fantasy real. It’ll feel jus’ like the real thing. Or…do you have a favorite actress? All I gotta do is slip inta your head and you can slip between her thighs all nice like.”

 

Eugene blinked at him, mouth gaping. Did he really have that power? Could he really make Eugene see and feel anything? The possibility made him feel a bit sick but Snafu had a raw, desperate look on his face.

 

“I don’t want that,” he finally sputtered.

 

“Oh,” Snafu’s shoulder slumped. “Then…what do you want?”

 

Eugene frowned and looked down to where Snafu was wringing his hands nervously. He carefully reached forward and took those nervous hands in his own. The other man froze and then met his eyes.

 

“I don’t know what I want but I don’t want that,” he whispered and Snafu stared at him. “I…I want you to be you.”

 

“Firs’ time I’ve heard that,” Snafu tried to joke but it went flat. It made Eugene feel unbearably sad at the thought that Snafu felt he had to pretend to be someone else.

 

“We gotta be careful if we do this,” he said softly and Snafu looked hopeful. “No one can know.”

 

“I’m not abouta shout it from the rooftops,” Snafu laughed and for the first time since he met him he sounded a bit carefree.

 

Eugene laughed and leaned forward to kiss him again, loving the way Snafu was still smiling. It made him feel giddy, like when he kissed Chrissy Smitts behind the schoolhouse when they were twelve, but so much better.

 

When they finally broke apart it was because they heard the crowd of men making their way to the mess tent. Snafu let out a small laugh and stood, holding his hand out for Eugene to take. He pulled him to his feet and nudged him slightly with his shoulder as they walked out.

 

“Can’t do this shit,” Snafu grumbled, motioning to the little white flowers that had bloomed all around the cabin. Still, a faint blush warmed his olive skin and his eyes were bright.


	6. Chapter 6

Eugene didn’t know if he liked this strange limbo they were in at Pavuvu. He was so used to laying in muddy foxholes, half awake listening for footsteps or whispered Japanese. After weeks of being hyperaware of his surroundings it was hard adjusting to being able to somewhat relax.

 

He still startled awake at the smallest sounds.

 

He still found himself straining his ears for little sounds.

 

He still found himself counting and recounting the men around him.

 

And he still found himself seeking out Snafu’s company. It was strange but he felt lost without the other man by his side. He needed the soft drawl in his ears and the heavy smell of cigarette smoke lingering around him.

 

They hadn’t so much as touched since their whispered confessions and gentle kisses. In fact, Eugene even thought he had dreamed the whole thing if not for the almost sly grins Snafu would shoot him. It made his heart race and his face turn hot which only made Snafu grin wider.

 

A new kind of comfort existed between them. Eugene would occasionally hear soft music and found himself smiling, knowing that Snafu was slipping those sweet notes into his mind. He would grow flowers in the same green-blue as the older man’s eyes. Snafu would grumble that he wasn’t a girl when he found the flowers but Eugene knew he kept every single one pressed between the pages of a book he kept in his pack.

 

It was nice. It was peaceful.

 

It wasn’t going to last.

 

Eugene was startled out of sleep by the sound of screams and gunfire. Instead of waking in the same cot he had fallen asleep in he was scrambling through the dirt and mud of Peleliu. His joints were stiff and his muscles ached but he wrapped fingers tightly around the smooth metal of his rifle.

 

Explosions rocked the world around him and he stumbled a bit more, trying desperately to get his bearings. He could feel his own mouth moving around strangely accented words as he searched, panicked for…someone…

 

Then, he caught sight of himself. He, Eugene Sledge, was staring into his own eyes from across a foxhole. The first twinge of _wrongness_ lingered in the back of his mind but it was mostly shadowed by complete and utter fear.

 

He was trapped. He couldn’t move a muscle.

 

He just had to watch as his own body jerked backwards slightly, his eyes widening, and then red bloomed across his chest. He just had to watch as he slumped backwards, eyes going glassy and blank and an indescribable _sorrow_ made him feel like his chest was caving in.

 

_“For fucks sake Sledge! Wake up!”_

A faint voice broke through the blood rushing in his ears and he felt a bit dazed.

 

_“Wake up!”_

His eyes snapped open to meet Burgin’s too blue ones. Eugene gasped for breath, chasing a desperate need for oxygen. Everything felt warped and confusing as he looked around, trying to figure out what was happening.

 

“That’s it Sledge,” Burgin kept a comforting hand on his shoulder, helping him sit up. “Just take a breath.”

 

Then he became hyperaware that he was shaking and that tears were streaming down his cheeks. His shoulders hitched with sobs and he covered his face with his hands, overwhelmed by emotions that he couldn’t make sense of.

 

The nearby sound of someone choking on sobs made him glance up and he saw Jay lingering by Snafu, looking terrified at the sight of the other man practically hyperventilating. Snafu’s too bright eyes flicked around the room, his pupils growing and shrinking as noises got louder and softer in Eugene’s head.

 

“Get yourself under control Snaf,” Burgin barked and Snafu jumped, blinking owlishly at him as the sounds finally quieted.

 

Eugene sagged forward, held up in place by strong hands. Sweat mixed with the tears on his face and he gulped for air, trying to make sense of what was going on. It was one thing to wake up and be disoriented in your own dream, it was something entirely else to wake up in the middle of someone else’s.

 

Realization crashed over Eugene and he stared blankly at Snafu. He had been pulled into the other man’s dream. He had seen through Snafu’s eyes and had felt the feelings he did. A chill ran down his spine and he felt instantly nauseated, swallowing compulsively to avoid throwing up.

 

“Christ, probably woke the whole fucking camp with your wailing,” Brugin sat back, looking exhausted. He still looked between them, obviously spooked by being woken up so suddenly. “You both alright?”

 

Snafu didn’t say a word, instead grabbing his pack of cigarettes and trying to flee the room. He shoved open the flap and froze. The path out was blocked by thorny, thick vines that crossed and tangled along the doorway.

 

“Make them move before I get my fucking machete and cut them down!” Snafu’s voice was high pitched and frantic. He reached out, ready to tear the plant apart with his bare hands.

 

Eugene lifted his hand and the vines twisted out of the way, shrinking back so that Snafu could shove his way through with only a few cuts. He disappeared into the darkness and Eugene scrubbed at his face, feeling an overwhelming exhaustion deep in his bones.

 

The other two men lingered nearby, watching him carefully as he staggered to his knees. Eugene pushed himself past the rapidly wilting vines, eyes scanning through the silent camp in a desperate attempt to find Snafu.

 

“Sledge,” Burgin appeared behind him. “Just come back in an’ get some sleep. He just needs a bit of time. You know nightmares aren’t exactly rare here.”

 

“No, but showing someone else your nightmare is,” he mumbled and Burgin stiffened near him. He turned slightly to see blue eyes staring back at him, worried.

 

“When they asked me if I was willing to take mutants into my unit I wasn’t expecting this,” Burgin let out a short laugh and pulled out his own cigarette, holding it between his teeth. “I knew a kid back home who could levitate a bit. Not much, like a few inches. I thought that’s what I would see. I wasn’t expecting fucking plants or goddamn mind games.”

 

“Sorry to disappoint,” Eugene sighed and leaned against the creaky wood of the wall.

 

“Why couldn’t you just…magic up steak dinners or something?” the teasing tone in his voice made Eugene relax slightly, a tired smile on his face. “But seriously, I’m sorry for all the shit you have to go through.”

 

“Yeah, me too,” he sighed and sank down so he was sitting on the ground, dead vines around him hanging from the walls.

 

Burgin stared at him for a moment before nodding faintly, finishing up his cigarette and letting it fall into the sand. He clapped Eugene on his shoulder and slipped back into the cabin. Soft voices met his ears but quickly hushed into silence like before.

 

He didn’t go look for Snafu. It was obvious that the other man was desperate for some time to himself and he was not about to intrude on that. Instead he lit his own cigarette and watched as the early morning sun painted everything in their camp a soft pink.

 

Finally, Snafu came walking back down the path. His hands were deep in his pockets and his head was down. The firm set of his shoulders and the clipped way he was walking betrayed his emotions. Eugene just scooted over a bit and offered a cigarette to Snafu when he sat down next to him.

 

“I ain’t never done that before,” he grumbled. “I’m sorry. I ain’t never…”

 

“Do you dream about that often?” Eugene ventured, noticing the way Snafu winced and stiffened next to him. The blue-green eyes went a bit far away and then he blinked a few times before flicking the ash away from his cigarette.

 

“About you bein’ shot? Sometimes. Other times you step on a landmine or get bayonetted,” he dropped the cigarette butt into the dirt and went to stub it out before he realized he had stormed off without shoes on. Eugene slid his foot over to stub out the burning paper.

 

“Shit,” Eugene finally said, getting a humorless laugh in response.

 

“Yeah, shit,” Snafu leaned back and let his fingers trace over the withered, dried out vines along the walls of the cabin. “Musta freaked you out.”

 

Eugene simply nodded. The vines were ugly, vicious looking things. It was something he had never created before and the sight made him feel uncomfortable. He had never grown anything without his knowledge before and it was frightening. It felt like he was out of control.

 

What if he had hurt someone in the cabin?

 

“I like it better when you make pretty things,” Snafu grumbled, flicking his fingers against the vine.

 

“I like it better when you think of pretty things,” he countered, getting a scoff in response. They watched as men wandered sleepily towards the mess tent. No one paid any attention to the two men but they would cast curious eyes to the sudden dead jungle that had appeared around the cabin.

 

They of course scurried away when Snafu gave them a truly icy glare.

 

“Maybe I’ll just think about you then,” Snafu said, voice low and secretive. “If you like it better when I think of pretty things.”

 

He managed to dart out of the way before Eugene could kick him.


	7. Chapter 7

Okinawa was so different from Pelelui.

 

Pelelui had gotten the taste of war. The trees had just started splintering and there was still grass poking up through the dirt, the island showing a vain attempt to stay alive. Okinawa had long since given up hope. Greenery was few and far between. It looked like the war had wiped the land clean.

 

The sticky mud tugged at his boots and Eugene clenched his jaw tight as he walked. By the awkward gate of everyone else he could tell that they were also having a hard time walking. An awkward conversation was taking place behind him, one of the new men rambling on and on about the Okinawans stumbling in the opposite direction.

 

“Think they’re mutants? I heard that other countries are doin’ this to their freak populations ya know,” Peck said brightly, his voice grating on Eugene. “Pushing them out of their homes so they can be moved somewhere they can be watched. Seems scary to have some of them walkin’ around.”

 

“You see the patch on me and Sledgehamma’s shoulder boo?” Snafu asked in a sickly sweet voice. “Whatcha think that’s for?”

 

“You guys were…part of a special unit right?” Peck asked but he sounded unsure.

 

“Naw, we’re some of those freaks you think should be herded off somewhere,” a grin spread across his face when Peck tried to stutter out excuses. “They might be a different but they’re women and children being forced out of their homes. Have some fucking respect.”

 

These little moments made something twist in Eugene’s stomach. As much as Snafu wanted to come across as a slightly manic hard ass he still had values and good in him. He understood though, how could you see yourself as a decent person when you were treated like a monster your whole life?

 

Of course, that didn’t stop him from tricking the new guy out of his poncho or joining in on the teasing.

 

And it didn’t stop him from snapping when they walked past the Japanese POWs.

 

Eugene felt a small swell of anger as they walked past them. Other marines spat or hissed at the men and out of the corner of his eye he saw Snafu’s hands tighten into fists. One man went a bit too far throwing a lit cigarette and the POW jumped up, shouting something in Japanese.

 

Instantly, Snafu was screaming back and had raised his weapon. His eyes flickered and the POW stumbled backwards in fear, his shrieks rising in pitch with panic. Clearly, Snafu wanted to scare him and give him a bit of the fear that he had been experiencing throughout the nights spent huddled in foxholes.

 

The outburst had surprised him at first but then the man shoved against him and he lost it. Eugene pushed the man back, feeling his face twist into a snarl. Ugly vines twisted around the Jap’s ankles and pulled him off balance, sending him crashing to the ground.

 

“I knew you fucking freaks would be dangerous out here,” an officer stepped into his person space and Eugene glared up angrily. “Give me your rank and serial number now!”

 

“You’re callin’ us freaks?” Snafu’s voice was high and strained. “You’re lettin’ some agreement some men who’ve never been to war decide how we fight? That fucker’s a Jap, we can end him right now and not waste a bullet.”

 

And Eugene agreed.

 

His blood roared in his ears and he wanted nothing more than to rip the enemy limb from limb. He wanted to watch vines and stems push through the man’s flesh. He wanted to see leaves spread under his skin and burst free. He wanted to see the man become unrecognizable as a human being.

 

The officer looked a bit nervous at that, looking between the two mutants. Other men called out encouragements, grins wide and sharp.

 

 _Of course this is when they approve of us, when we can give them a show._ Eugene thought bitterly, the red haze still lingering. _They only are cheering us on because they can see us killing the enemy for them. We’re weapons, far more frightening than the guns they hold._

And for a moment he felt incredibly powerful.

 

The prisoner let out another scream when the thorny vines tightened around his legs, climbing up them like deadly snakes. Eugene just had to _push_ and they could end this man. It would be fair. How many of their men did he kill without a thought? How many mothers wept because of him?

 

Then the officer pulled his sidearm and pointed it at Eugene, making everything freeze. The red curtain lifted and Eugene stared down the barrel. Everyone around him went silent and Snafu went perfectly still, knuckles white where he gripped his own weapon.

 

“Step back,” the officer’s gun shook a bit. “Get the fuck back.”

 

The vines unwound from around the prisoner’s ankles and drifted back into the mud. Eugene took a few steps back, running into another marine who scrambled away from him. Everyone he looked at was staring at him in complete shock, maybe even a bit of fear.

 

“Okay,” Burgin stepped between them, holding a hand up to each. “Let’s all take a breath. We’re tired and stressed.”

 

“He attacked a prisoner!” The officer argued but the gun fell to his side.

 

“You have them on the fucking road!” Burgin argued back, looking furious. “I-“

 

“You’re his handler right? Fucking train your…things better,” the officer spat and spun on his heel, yanking up the prisoner and shoving him towards the others.

 

Burgin bristled at that and then turned to glare at Eugene who shrank down, feeling like a little boy who had disappointed his father. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

 

“I’m sorry,” Eugene whispered.

 

“I’m not your fucking babysitter Sledge. I’m not in charge of making sure you don’t fucking snap,” Burgin continued to snarl at him, getting a bit in his space. “But if you do it’ll come back on me. I fought for you and you are…just fucking hell. I can’t always be there to stop you from being…”

 

He stormed off, leaving Eugene staring down at his own trembling hands. Burgin was right. It wasn’t his job to rein him in. It wasn’t anyone else’s but his own and he had just about lost control.

 

Throat feeling tight, Eugene glanced up to see wide blue-green eyes staring back at him. Snafu had been a bit standoffish ever since they had landed on Okinawa but now he inched a bit closer.

 

“’m sorry Gene,” he mumbled and Eugene shook his head, following his unit down the road.

 

He just needed a bit of time to himself to remember what it felt like to be human.

 

The rest of the company avoided them after that. Of course, they went back to thinking he was something wrong as soon as the fight was over. He just kept his head down and trudged along through the mud.

 

Snafu lingered at the edge of his periphery through the rest of their walk and while they were digging foxholes. He didn’t push or try to talk and thankfully he didn’t try to calm him down with visions. Just knowing he was there, ready to step in, was calming enough.

 

“Um…hi?” A timid voice made him glance up and he was eye to eye with a shorter, nervous looking young man. “I’m one of the new-“

 

“Okay,” Eugene interrupted and the marine hesitated.

 

“You’re Sledge right? I’m Hamm,” Eugene sighed and leaned on his shovel, annoyed that he was having to stop his task to talk to this newbie. “I’m like you.”

 

Sure enough, there was the patch. It was muddied but if he looked for it there it was. Once, Eugene would have been thrilled to find another mutant out here. He would have latched onto the feeling of brotherhood he used to feel with people like him.

 

But now, he was just tired.

 

“I saw what you did there. You can control plants?” The marine’s eyes were bright and hopeful, making something squirm in Eugene’s stomach. “I can make myself invisible…which sounds cool but I can’t do it with clothes so…”

 

“Hamm,” Eugene interrupted him and the younger man’s mouth snapped shut. “We both got fucked up DNA. It doesn’t mean we’re best friends.”

 

Had he looked that crestfallen when Snafu had said that to him?

 

Hamm wandered away and Eugene went back to digging his foxhole, frowning as every shovelful of mud just seemed to create more sludge in the hole.

 

Snafu walked up next to him and dug his own shovel into the mud. The other man didn’t say anything but he didn’t have to. This wasn’t the same peaceful, lazy thing they had going back on Peleliu. For a moment, Eugene mourned what had been. He would give anything to feel the comforting grip of Snafu’s hand in his or the gentle way he pressed his lips against his.

 

And instead, he just had to pretend that nothing was going on between them.

 

“I would have killed that man,” he finally whispered and Snafu nodded without looking up. “Shit, I promised I wouldn’t use it against anyone again.”

 

“Ya can’t hide it,” Snafu moved so he could bump shoulders with him, the only contact he would allow them. “It’s a part of you. You can’t be scared of it.”

 

“So you can read minds now?” Eugene gave him a glare and saw a flash of white teeth through the mud caking his face.

 

“Naw, you’re just real obvious,” he chuckled. “It was my fault anyhow. I shouldn’t have riled him and everyone up.”

 

Eugene paused in his digging. “You sparked all of that?”

 

“I didn’t use any magic or nothin’,” he shrugged. “I didn’t need to. People were waitin’ for a reason to explode and I shouldn’t have given them one.”

 

Eugene nodded. Tensions were high and they hadn’t gotten much rest since they landed on the island. It wouldn’t take much for people to jump on an opportunity to release some stress. It was just unfortunate that he had fallen into that trap as well.

 

“It’s fine,” Eugene gave him a shrug and was surprised by the laugh that followed, a flash of white teeth in a muddy mask.

 

“Feels like I’m in grade school and gotcha in trouble,” Snafu grinned, eyes bright. “Like one time when I was maybe twelve there was this kid…fuck, what was his name?...Ah! Theodore Leech. He was such a fucking asshole. He liked to reach up girl’s skirts ya know? Creepy pervert. So, one time I slipped in and made him see our teacher like one of those girls. Our teacher was like a thousand years old and had never smiled a day in her life, but she knocked that big kid right on his ass when he tried to get fresh with her.”

 

The bright laugh made Eugene grin as well.  He could imagine a young Snafu twisting this bully’s mind and teaching him a lesson. He could imagine him smiling behind his hand as their teacher shrieked.

 

“What happened to him?”

 

“He got thrown outta the school,” Snafu was still chuckling. “And then he left town when he turned eighteen. Guess you can’t make people forget that you felt up a grandmother.”

 

“Did anyone know it was you?” Eugene asked and he shook his head. “Really? I can’t imagine you wouldn’t brag about that.”

 

Snafu shrugged, his smile growing a bit softer. “I thought myself a silent superhero ya know? My ma figured it out though. She never told me but I thought she was…like me. She got me a piece of cake that night and didn’t tell me why. She just told me not to let my ol’ man know.”

 

“Your mom was a mutant?” Eugene raised his eyebrows, surprised.

 

“Maybe? She seemed to know that things were happenin’ before they happened. I don’t even know if she knew,” Snafu grunted as he slammed the shovel into the mud. “But, she didn’t see the fight between her and my dad and he pushed her down the stairs.”

 

“Shit Snaf,” Eugene paused in his task, feeling his heart break.

 

“It’s fine. It was a long time ago,” Snafu waved his hand a bit. “My grandparents raised me after that. It got better.”

 

Eugene just stared at him, chest feeling tight. The other man was a bit of a mystery to him and every new thing he learned just added another piece to the puzzle. He was so much more than the uncaring hard ass he pretended to be.

 

“I was terrified when I found out,” Eugene blurted, suddenly wanting Snafu to know something about him as well. “It happened for the first time when I was maybe…ten? I was helping my mother outside in her rose garden and accidentally snipped a bud. I knew she would be so furious so I tried to cover it up and then it just…grew back. My mother completely panicked and rushed me to my father. We were known in the community you know? My father was a respected doctor and…God help us if they had a son who was…wrong.”

 

“You ain’t wrong,” Snafu sounded so intense that Eugene was taken aback. “You ain’t.”

 

Eugene gave him a sad smile and looked down to the hole he was digging again. “Well, mutants weren’t allowed in the family church, so we had to keep it secret. My father tried to make it stop but…it didn’t work. He tried medications and therapies but it just…my heart started having trouble and they figured they’d rather have a freak son than a dead one. I’m sure they’d be proud of me now though.”

 

Snafu stopped his digging and leaned against his shovel. He reached forward to brush his hand against Eugene’s, making him freeze and look around to see if anyone noticed. The other man pulled his hand back and gave him a sad smile.

 

“They’re proud of you. You’re their brave marine,” Snafu cleared his throat and went back to digging. “They don’t gotta know what you did out here.”

 

Eugene stopped his digging and looked at the other man who had continued digging, feeling something flutter in his stomach. Yeah, there would be a lot of things he would keep from the people he had left behind in Alabama.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God, it's been so long since I last updated! I am so sorry! Here you go :)

He fucking hated the rain.

 

Back in Mobile rain had been a relief. The smell of wet earth and moisture in the air made him feel alive in a way he couldn’t explain. It was easier to pull life out of the ground, teasing out flowers and even small saplings. It was like the rain rejuvenated him as well as the foliage.

 

But here, the rain drowned everything.

 

Nothing could grow here. The excessive water choked out the roots and washed away any anchoring soil. Nothing could anchor itself if it was just going to be washed away. In fact, he felt like he was going wash away as well.

 

Even the gunfire and explosions sounded muted under the oppressive rain. Eugene felt like his brain itself was trying to shake itself of the sticky mud all around him and he felt himself moving a bit more sluggish.

 

When the first mortar misfired he felt a stab of panic. Had his carelessness caused this to happen? Could he have put his men at risk just because he felt like he was _drowning_?

 

Then the next two misfired and he realized something more was happening. All of their ammunition was drenched and completely useless. Eugene cursed frantically and shook his head, staring at the soaking wet mortars.

 

Snafu snarled under his breath and jumped up, ready to get some more ammunition. He glanced at Eugene for a moment, his eyes orange in the burning explosions around them.

 

_Be safe._

His slow drawl drowned out the rain and explosions and Eugene nodded back at him. He vanished over the side of the foxhole with Hamm and another marine Eugene didn’t notice. With a shaky breath, Eugene pressed himself more firmly against the wet wall of the foxhole and waited.

 

It felt like forever and not long enough before they returned one man less.

 

Complete and utter panic threatened to strangle him when he didn’t see the third man scramble over the edge. Desperately, he surged forward and tried to find out pale green eyes in the darkness. One of the men stormed forward, yanked Peck’s poncho off, and covered the new ammo. He then slammed the ruined poncho into Peck’s chest and he recognized the pure rage in his eyes.

 

For a moment Eugene was scared that Snafu would dive into Peck’s brain and turn him inside out. He could just imagine the marine shrieking and writhing on the floor, all of his worst fears consuming him. But, before he could say anything Snafu shook his head and stormed away.

 

They locked eyes for a moment and Eugene tried to convey some sense of comfort to him but Snafu just shook his head again.

 

The fighter ended just as quickly as it started and they hunkered down in their foxhole, pressed into the sticky mud. Snafu stared forward, eyes locked on Peck’s frame where he was curled up a bit further away. Thankfully the rain slickers hid them from view and no one saw Eugene walk his fingers over to curl around Snafu’s hand.

 

“Get some sleep,” Eugene leaned in to whisper, knowing the rain drowned them out.

 

“No.”

 

“Come on, I’ll keep watch,” he shifted a bit closer and rubbed his thumb over the back of Snafu’s hand. “You need to rest.”

 

Snafu pursed his lips a bit. “I don’t want you to see what I saw. I…I don’t know if I can control it when I sleep.”

 

“Okay,” Eugene settled down as well, ready to spend the rest of the night up as well.

 

The next morning was blessedly dry. They started their morning routine of eating their rations and counting their supplies. Eugene smoked at his pipe and made his notes in his notebook, glancing around every so often.

 

“Why aren’t we giving them safe passage?” Hamm spoke up. He looked almost a bit transparent, an obvious sign that he was still upset from the night before. “The civilians, why are we giving them safe conduct?”

 

“A lot of them are helping the Nips Hamm,” Bill sounded almost lazy as he lit his cigarette.

 

“That family wasn’t,” he faded a bit and then came back into focus.

 

Snafu fixed him with a look. “The only thing that matters out here is killin’ Japs.”

 

“You saw the signs they had,” Hamm snapped. “They were like us. I’ve heard of camps mutants are being forced into and some horrible shit is going down there.”

 

“You don’t think they won’t sell you out to save their own skin?” Eugene asked, surprising himself at the venom in his words. “If we spend all our time saving every Jap civilian that gives us sad eyes we won’t have any time to actually fight the war. We kill the bad guys, we go home.”

 

Hamm frowned and looked down at his hands. “It ain’t fair.”

 

“They don’t really put them in camps…do they?” Peck asked, sounding a bit nervous. He put a picture he had been staring at back in his jacket.

 

“I thought you liked that idea,” Bill snapped and blew a plume of smoke in his direction.

 

“I mean…like a neighborhood or something. Somewhere where they can be watcher but live a normal life,” Peck glanced between them, shoulders curling up. “I know some cities are trying it and it’s nice. The mutants like it even.”

 

“I’m sure a mutant utopia would be magical for everyone,” Eugene rolled his eyes.

 

“Nah, there’s no white picket fences and farmers markets in these camps,” Snafu stood up and stalked towards him, looking like a predatory cat. “They put you in a tiny cell. Doctors come in and take blood and tissue and whatever they want. They force you to use your ability over and _over_. When they get their data they might even cut out parts of your brain to figure out exactly what part makes you tick.”

 

“Okay, that’s enough,” Bill waved his hand. Peck was pale and staring at Snafu in horror who crouched down and pressed their helmets together, eyes boring into the other man.

 

“But that’s if you’re lucky. I’ve heard talk about how they have ways of controlling you, of making you a weapon. Imagine Hamm being controlled like a puppet, sneaking through camps and you can’t even see him. Imagine Sledgehamma’ choking the life outta you with vines or growing a whole field of poison. Imagine me being forced to slide into your brain so easy and-“

 

“That’s enough!” Bill snapped, his happy go lucky attitude dissipating. He looked disturbed and Snafu just tapped their helmets together before standing up and stretching a bit.

 

“So no, I’m not gonna help Jap civilians who might put me in a cage,” his deft fingers plucked Bill’s cigarette out of his hand and slid it between his own lips.

 

Hamm jumped to his feet and all but fled, hurrying towards the other end of camp. An uncomfortable silence followed as Snafu plopped himself down on a crate and took a long drag of his cigarette. He glanced between the men all staring at hi and shrugged.

 

“What?”

 

“You’re being a dick,” Bill pulled out another cigarette. “No need to get nasty.”

 

“Oh, there’s plenty of need to get nasty. War is nasty business Ballpeen,” a lazy smile spread across his face. “The moment you forget about it and start thinking of happier things the more you let your guard down. I think about the shit that can happen to me and Gene over there because I’d rather die than go through that. Japs can’t jump me if I’m always thinkin’ about it.”

 

Eugene felt a bit short of breath, chest tight and painful. He could see the almost constant fear that Snafu was under and he was a bit nervous that it could make him snap. Sometimes it seemed like the other man was just on the edge of retaining his sanity as it was.

 

Honestly, Eugene would have been happy in his ignorance. The stories about how mutant POWs were treated could just be stories but it was clear that it scared Snafu senseless.

 

“The fuck is that?” Snafu’s pale eyes were on him and he blinked a few times before glancing down where the other man was pointing.

 

Thin red vines were curling around his feet, small dark green leaves sprouting out. For a long moment he just stared. He hadn’t thought about growing anything, hadn’t reached into the earth and pulled anything out and here it was.

 

“Poison sumac,” he murmured, thinking to the plants he and Sid had to avoid when they wandered through the woods back in Mobile.

 

Had the stress from Snafu talking caused him to do this? Was it an unconscious way to protect himself? The poison wouldn’t have affected him but it sure wouldn’t have been fun for anyone else. He kicked mud over the plant, smothering it instantly.

 

“So maybe I don’t gotta worry about you,” Snafu said, flicking his cigarette butt into the mud.

 

Even if the poison sumac was buried and wilting he could almost feel poison burning into him. Eugene had never grown anything dangerous before but ever since he killed his first man he couldn’t grow anything else. It was like his ability had twisted to become a weapon in response to the war, causing death instead of creating life.

 

He hated it.

 

Swallowing convulsively, he dumped the burning tobacco out of his pipe and looked up to see Snafu watching him. He saw the pupils shrink down and then heard the now familiar drawl in his head.

 

_You don’t gotta worry none. I ain’t gonna let no one hurt you._

He hesitated before thinking his own reply. _You’re not really in control of that, are you?_

The feeling of Snafu withdrawing from his mind made him shiver and he watched as the other man’s pupils dilated. The other man didn’t respond to that, but his expression told Eugene enough. He felt helpless, a feeling Eugene had also become horribly acquainted with as well.

 

All they could do was watch out for each other and hope they made it to the end.


End file.
